which mt bike should i go with!?

[MaxxXJ]

so i have a few in mind... GT, trek, and specialized so far, i really like the 2008 specialized hardrock. im really looking to get away with spending under 500 dollars but getting the best bang for my money, im looking at something with double walled rims, sealed bearings, and im kinda torn between disc brakes and v brakes. it will be mostly mild trails with the fiance so i cant go out and get crazy too often but i want something that will take the abuse when i want to abuse it a little bit.

anyone got any ideas?

 

[thethinginthewoods]

Talk to Scott (Muddybeast) from the NW chapter. He seems to know quite a lot about Mt. bikes and the sport of mt. biking. I think he sells them too.

 

[Rob Patterson]

I would also look at some other brands that may provide better value at that price. I would check out Kona, Giant, etc and some store brands like; Super Go, REI, Performance. At $500.00 don't go for full suspension, you will have a heavy bike with substandard frame and components and a very heavy bike. I would also check the forums of MTBR.com; they have a hot deals/coupon forum that will give you a list of current deals. Also look for close-out models and possibly look in craigslist for a good used bike. It is a fun hobby but can get real expensive quick. My last bike I spent about $2000 and that isn't considered a lot of money. However, I usually keep my bike for 5 or 6 years before I upgrade. Be sure to get a comfortable seat; that can make a big difference. A lot of low end bikes have a bad seat.

Good Luck,

 

[R_jeep]

500 doesnt allow for very many options. giant gives the most bang for the buck.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

I got a better deal on my Kona when I had it than any other brands I looked at. It was a sweet bike. I Had a Nunu, hardtail with upgraded forks. It weighed less than bikes twice its price. When I get another it will be another Kona.

 

[mynameisphunk]

You're honestly better off looking for a used bike in that price range - you should be able to find something on craigslist that is a significantly better bike than you could get for your $500 at a bike shop.

 

[aeheschutte]

dude, i have a 1999 specialized rockhopper and i love the thing. I got it in high school and have had it since. I truly believe that specialized makes the better MT bike in the MT bike world. Their customer support is great too. You wont regret investing. I love road bikes too and its hard to pick the perfect bike ,MT or road. Just rember, you get what you pay for.

 

[shute420]

I bought my Trek for $800 years ago and the thing has taken so much abuse and is still in tip top shape.....I love it and if I was gonna buy another one it would definitely be another Trek....but i agree that options are limited for $500.....you are better off buying anything used for that price......

 

[johnnyc]

I have a Cannondale Scalpel full suspension bike with a Lefty fork, disc brakes, and tubeless tires that I'll sell you for $500. It's a medium size.

No need for two bikes and I like my Intense better.

 

[soulslngr]

Having worked at a high end MTB shop, we used to recommend a hardtail when shopping with less then $1000. IIRC Cannondale used to offer a lifetime warrantied frame USA built with a lot of R&D into it for about 500. Anything else is primarily built overseas, by one of only a few manufacturers, with comparable quality. At that point, pick the model that has the nicest spec components (less set-up, less chance of things going out of wack frequently). The likelihood of finding a last years model is good at this time of year, and I know many of the shops local to me have been hurting not from just the season, but also economic happenings so deals are abundant. Test ride anything you are thinking about buying! Discs are nice, but cheaper ones are heavier than v-brakes and v-brakes can be plenty powerful to throw you over the bars too.
I just finished building up a steel DJ, urban assault bike with eBay and amazon bought parts. Finished a pretty cool bike for sub-$300 with some smart shopping. I also sold my steel singlespeed to fund it so....
Hope some of this helps, I haven't been up on many of the new models but let me know if I can help at all.

 

[igotanxj]

I'd recommend Giant. I picked up an XTC2 last year from a local bike shop. I walked out the door for just under $600 and got one hell of a bike for that price. Retail is close to $900. Look for sales going on, you can usually find some good deals. Now that its about to get warmer prices will start to go up. My bike was on sale, plus if I donated a bike to charity at the same shop, they gave $100 off. I bought an old POS bike for $10 off cragslist and traded that in when I bought my bike. So I basically got $90 off just for driving to pick up the used bike. Good luck.

Also, with cannondale's if you want a frame built in the USA you'll know for sure when you see it. The price is way higher on USA built frames, and they have stickers all over them saying hand-built in the USA. Their cheaper bikes have frames made overseas.

 

[Cnickgo]

I have a Cannondale Scalpel full suspension bike with a Lefty fork, disc brakes, and tubeless tires that I'll sell you for $500. It's a medium size.

No need for two bikes and I like my Intense better.

Now thats a heckuva deal.

Maxx... Talk to this man. Or someone over there.

 

[MDR88MJ]

i ride downhill but my dad has the specialized hardrock with disc

its a great bike , my brother rode it almost every day with me and then he final got a iron horse downhill with 8 inch rotors and 8 inches of suspention travel, but he rode that hardrock into the groud and aside frome frying the wheel bearings that bike was a trooper with everything he did

45mph down fire roads and we were changing tires bi-weakley

i ride a custom made gt and i still have v brakes and hate them, they dong grab like a disc does, some say v braves are better and i look at then like they have a hole in there head

rim brakes get wett and fade and dont grip enough and you wont stop in time disc brakes rooool

save your self the trouble get the hardrock comp and you will be happy

 

[MahnkenVille]

I love my Ironhorse Maverick. I got it for $130 at Dicks on sale. Its super super tough and also very light. If its not enough for you (it has v-brakes which i dont mind and its a hardtail), check out Ironhorse's lineup. They make some good stuff.

 

[soulslngr]

The scalpel mentioned above is s good deal if everything is in working order. Those Lefty forks were quite advanced when they came out and worked nicely. Very stiff laterally, and torsionally with needle bearings supporting the movement instead of just bushings. The frame is also a nice piece and it can be built up into quite a light FS bike. Iron Horse, Specialized, Trek, K2... at certain sub 700-900 dollar price-points are quite similar. Each manufacturer approaches a factory in China to build x number of frames for them with their logos and paint jobs. What seperates them would be the drivetrain spec... Check online for reviews on everything, you can get great feedback at MTBreview.com.

 

[Matthew Currie]

At that range I'd definitely go for hardtail. In addtion to brands noted above, you might look at Jamis, which has some pretty decent stuff under a grand.

 

[johnnyc]

At the $500 price point, you'll likely get Shimano Alivio or Acera components.

The Cannondale I'm selling is MADE IN THE USA and has full Shimano XT components (crankset, shifters, derailleurs, cassette, hubs), along with Magura Julie disc brakes, Mavic tubeless rims, Fox Float L rear shock and the Jake Lefty fork. It also has carbon fiber chainstays, which makes it a fairly light bike.

The bad? Ugly blue Titec handlebar, missing headset cap (it's somewhere in Moab), broken shift indicator (I look between my legs to see what gear I'm in), and NO pedals.

I was going to put it on eBay, but I'll sell it to you since you're somewhat local. I'll even drive up and meet you half way.

Sorry mods, should this be in the For Sale forum?

I'll even throw the Moab mud in for free.

 

[gbyrnes]

Personally, I kinda like my Dimondback Response Sport. I got it for $400 and it's been pretty good for me. It's not super fancy, but it really knows how to get the job done. It's got Kenda tires that are pretty grippy.

 

[Hammered]

Check craigslist

 

[johnnyc]

At the $500 price point, you'll likely get Shimano Alivio or Acera components.

The Cannondale I'm selling is MADE IN THE USA and has full Shimano XT components (crankset, shifters, derailleurs, cassette, hubs), along with Magura Julie disc brakes, Mavic tubeless rims, Fox Float L rear shock and the Jake Lefty fork. It also has carbon fiber chainstays, which makes it a fairly light bike.

Just FYI, I no longer have this bike. There was no reply from the OP, so I put it on CL and it sold within five minutes.